Serving tray



y 14, 1942- l c. G. WADSACAZK I 2,289,945

SERVING TRAY Filed Jan. 22, v1940 INVENTORQ CHARLES M05101: Y

ATTORNEY.

Patented July 14, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SERVING TRAY CharlesG. Wadsack, Stafford, Kans.

dippiication January 22, 1940, Serial No. 315,075

1 Claim.

My invention relates to a serving tray, and the principal object of myinvention is to construct a tray that is supported by the shoulders of abearer, and being adapted to receive food, drinks, dishes, or the likeseated thereon.

Another object of my invention is to provide a tray that may be used atgatherings and picnics where there is no available seat for the food orcontainers for the same, in which instance the tray will relieve aperson of holding foods by the hands while eating. Furthermore, the traymay be used by waitress in serving food in restaurants.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a tray in which theplatform ma be easily removed and cleansed and the frame folded forstorage.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a tray that maysubstitute for the usual childs high chair, and furthermore a tray thatis conveniently hung on a bearer in such a way as to avoidburdensomeness.

These and other objects will hereinafter be more fully explained,reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part thereof,in which like characters will apply to like parts in the differentviews.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a. front elevation of the tray, showing the position of thetray on a human form.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side perspective view of the tray, and showingarticles placed thereon by dotted lines.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the tray.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 44 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a side view of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a side view of the hinge connection similar to that of Fig. 5but having an ear broken away for convenience of illustration.

Fig. 7 is a side view of the hinge at the upper joint of the arm.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged section taken on line B t in Fig. 3.

My invention herein disclosed consists of a platform having a bottom I,a front wall 2, an arcuate rear wall 3, and side walls 4, said sidewalls having a return bend A adapted to seat over a horizontallydisposed portion 5 of a frame structure formed from a rod, said portion5 extending around the sides and front of said bottom, and the ends ofsaid portion 5 terminating with a right angle bend adjacent the arcuatewall 3.

Vertically disposed, extending at right angle to said horizontallydisposed portion 5 and pivotally secured to each end of said portion isan arm 6 having an arcuate hook I pivotally secured to its respectiveend. The frame structure, being so arranged, will function as a hangerfor the platform, in which case the hooks of the frame are substantiallyarched to conform to the shoulders of a bearer as shown in Fig. 1 andpositioned thereabout, said arm 6 being of sufficient length so as toposition the platform at a convenient place to avoid cramping of thebearers arms while removing and placing articles thereon; andfurthermore the bottom, being on a horizontal plane and having walls, ismeans to provide depth to retain articles positioned therein. It will beunderstood that the arms of the frame extend along the chest a distancesufficient to place the arcuate rear wall at the waist line of thebearer.

To collapse said frame when the tray is not in use, a hinge is providedat each end of each vertically positioned arm 6 of the hanger throughthe medium of a pair of ears 8 at each end of said arm, and betweenwhich tongues 9 and I0 integral with the ends of the horizontallypositioned portion and hooks, respectively, engage and are securedtherein by a screw ll passing through an aperture in one ear and tongueand threadedly engaging in a threaded aperture of the other ear. Theplatform is removably arranged from the frame for cleansing purpose, andretained in position through the medium of the arched side walls whichengage with the frame as heretofore described. To retain the tray in anoperative position when in use, there is provided adjacent the upper andlower ends of each arm shoulders I2 and I3 oppositely disposed as shownin Figs, 4 to '7 inclusive, and integral with the tongue and earsrespectively, said shoulder adapted to strike, functioning as a stop forthe required horizontal position of the platform or hook.

And modifications may be made as lie within the scope of the appendedclaim,

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

In a jointed rack, the combination of a, U- shaped portion made from asingle piece of metallic rod, each free end of the U-shaped portionbeing bent at right angle in the same direction from the plane of theU-shaped portion, a straight portion for each right angle bend, saidstraight portions each being pivotally connected to its re spectiveright angle bent portion of the U-shaped portion in such a way as toform a rule joint to support the U-shaped portion at right angle to itsoppositely disposed sides each being formed into a hook to engage on thelegs of the U-shaped portion, the other sides being straight and atright angle from the bottom, one of last said sides 5 being archedinwardly all substantially as shown.

CHARLES G. WADSACK.

